He turned his eye on the bedside table. Upon it stood a row of books. A dirty table-napkin lay on top of the books. Captain Pascoe snatched it up. Underneath it was a tumbler holding three fingers of murky fluid.

‘D’yer know what that is? That’s been there since Friday night. I mean!’ He lurched again towards the bedside table. Alleyn slipped in front of him.

‘Maddening that sort of thing. I wonder if we might see Mr Pilgrim’s room, sir.’

‘By George, we’ll see every room in this house,’ shouted Captain Pascoe. ‘By God, we’ll catch them red-handed.’

With this remarkable pronouncement he turned about and made for the door. Alleyn followed him, looked over his shoulder at Fox, raised his left eyebrow, and disappeared.

To Nigel’s surprise, Fox said: ‘Wait here, Mr Bathgate, please,’ darted out of the room and reappeared in about a minute.

‘Stand by that door if you please, Mr Bathgate,’ whispered Fox. ‘Keep the room clear.’

Nigel stood by the door and Fox, with surprising dexterity and speed, whipped a small wide-necked bottle from his pocket, poured the contents of the tumbler into it, corked it, and wrapped the tumbler up in his handkerchief.

‘Now, sir. If you’ll take those down to the car and put them in the chief’s case—thank you very much. Quickly does it.’

When Nigel got back he found that Captain Pascoe, accompanied by Alleyn, had returned to the hall and was yelling for his servant. The servant arrived and was damned to heaps. Fox came down. Captain Pascoe suddenly collapsed into an armchair, showed signs of drowsiness, and appeared to lose all interest in his visitors. Alleyn spoke to the servant.

‘We are police officers and are making a few inquiries about the affair at Bossicote. Will you show us the garage, please?’

‘Very good, sir,’ said the man stolidly.

‘It’s nothing whatever to do with your employer, personally, by the way.’

Captain Pascoe’s servant bestowed a disappointed glance upon his master and led his visitors out by the front door.

‘The garage is a step or two down the lane, sir. The house, being old and what they call restored, hasn’t many conveniences.’

‘Do you keep early hours here? What time do you get up in the mornings?’

‘Breakfast is not till ten, sir. The maids are supposed to get up at seven. It’s more like half-past. The Captain and Mrs Pascoe breakfast in their rooms, you see, and so do most guests.’

‘Did Mr Pilgrim and Miss Seacliff breakfast in their rooms?’

‘Oh yes, sir. There’s the garage, sir.’

He showed them a double garage about 200 yards down the lane. Captain Pascoe’s Morris Cowley occupied less than half the floor space.

‘Ah yes,’ said Alleyn. ‘Plenty of room here. I suppose, now, that Mr Pilgrim’s car fitted in very comfortably?’

‘Oh yes, sir.’

‘Nice car, isn’t it?’